Man accused of killing police detective appears in court | Crime

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ATLANTA (WXIA) -- The family of an officer killed in the line of duty sat in court on Friday as prosecutors laid out their case against the man accused of killing him -- Amanuel Menghesha.

Prosecutors said Fulton County Police Detective Terence Green was gunned down by Menghesha in front of a house in a subdivision near Fairburn while responding to a call on March 4.

Police told the judge at the Fulton County Courthouse that Menghesha wanted to die, but despite the AK-47 in his hand, he could not bring himself to commit suicide. In fact, the only person killed that night was Green.

Green's parents sat in the front row as fellow Fulton County Police Detective Twanesa Howard described the minutes before their son died.

"Detective Green was initially struck in the left upper arm," she said. "There was also a hole in his left shoulder and the left side of his head."

But Howard says that was not the first -- or last shot fired that night. Howard says Menghesha drank nearly a bottle of tequila and a beer before his fiancé heard him fall from the attic while trying to retrieve his AK-47.

"That's when she saw Mr. Menghesha put his rifle together and made comments that was going to be his last night," Howard said.

Detective Howard says Menghesha fired into a neighbor's house before leaving his own. She then described a 20 minute game of cat-and-mouse as Menghesha fired at least 12 rounds at officers who were trying to find him in the fog.

"I will never be okay," said Green's mother when interviewed outside court. "Never ever be okay."

Outside the courthouse, Green's parents said they were shocked to hear Menghesha actually pointed his gun twice at other officers, exchanging gunfire. And that when it was over, police say he pleaded for death.

"That he would have killed everyone with one shot but he did not want to, he just wanted to die," Howard said, while on the stand.

In the courtroom, Menghesha's girlfriend tearfully apologized to Green's family. But that's not the apology his parents want to hear.

"He killed my child," Green's mother said. "I would like to hear that from him."

Menghesha's family says they knew Detective Green, and that he was keeping an eye out for Menghesha's daughter.

It is unclear whether Menghesha knew at the time of his arrest, an officer had been hit.